Gotham Adventures Family Ties
by The Arkansas Bruce Wayne
Summary: Gotham Adventures Family Ties By Bruce Smith and Priya Sridhar Ever since Dick and Bruce are no longer estranged and Barbara decided to be with Dick for some old time sake while both already buried the hatchet with Bruce but when it comes to each other the scars are still healing as Dick is trying not to bring the past up.


Gotham Adventures

Family Ties

By Bruce Smith and Priya Sridhar

Ever since Dick and Bruce are no longer estranged and Barbara decided to be with Dick for some old time sake while both already buried the hatchet with Bruce but when it comes to each other the scars are still healing as Dick is trying not to bring the past up now he and Barbara is in Bludhaven as the two trying to ease up with each other.

Is an quiet night in Bludhaven Nightwing decided to let Batgirl go on patrol with him hope that they can have the same dynamic they used to. While doing so they spotted some thugs whose was about to off a cop who is weakened by another thug who whack him from behind.

"Don't worry officer we'll be sure to return your badge to our collection." One of the thugs say ready to give the Police a bullet, suddenly a Wing Ding come out of nowhere knock out the the pistol out of the thug hand as the rest are confused about what is going on. Batgirl comes to the rescue by Bat rope kicked the same thug who attacked the injured cop and Nightwing comes into the scene as well to make sure that thug Batgirl knocked down on the ground won't be a getting in way as the thug trying to get up but is shocked at the sight of Nightwing as he waved and punch the thug to winder him unconscious.

"Nighty night!" he snarked at the unconscious thug

"It's Batgirl and that Nightwing guy!!!" one of the goons say acknowledge the Duo's presence.

"Sorry guys but I don't think that badge collection might as well be dust collection in your place." Batgirl respond to the goons reactions with Nightwing besides her.

"Well let's just say we have to make a costumed collection for the masks!" The thug respond with a crowbar as the rest change into the Duo while the cop used his walkie talkie to alert the rest of his force to come in the field let them know about what is going on as Nightwing counterattack two goons and gives them a side whip kick and uppercut one of them and elbow one in the head then punch in the mid section and knee him just to kick him down on the ground while Batgirl faces the one with a crowbar and the unarmed goon trying to grab her from behind but dodge both of them as the one with the crowbar accidentally hit his fellow gang unconscious with Batgirl comes to the goon and kicks the weapon off his hand and dodge a few attacks until she kicks the goon and beat him down with a few punches and throw him to Nightwing to give him the Dual takedown while the police had the rest to round them up after the two handcuffs them with Wing Dings and Batarangs warped around each of them.

"Heh I guess we still got it right like a good team as always." Batgirl comments on her and Nightwing recent action as they are on the rooftops before the police see them.

"Yeah I'm actually glad that you decide to join my usual patrol in Bludhaven." Nightwing respond trying use his usual charm on Barbara still not letting the past that separate them get to him.

"Well I have been thinking about what is like to be in a different city similar to Gotham but also like to check on your side of the usual nightly activities that you probably have been trouble with on your own." Batgirl said

"nah I'll be getting used to the thrill of this place, I have been thinking on feet, make sure I'll be ready for things I have trouble with on my own, and plus I get to decide my own patrol hours before done. Yup as long as I still take care of myself with the skills I learn from the best I won't have that much of a problem, but thanks for checking." Nightwing respond

Barbara still hoping that Dick not still feel betrayed by her incidents from the past but as long as she see him in his usual charming moods she doesn't have to push their relationship to more than casual now that they both okay with each other it seems but just as she is going in her thoughts on the subject Nightwing and her spotted two black cloth figures on the building in front of them with a woman in the shadows looks familiar to Nightwing and it looks like the woman has a signal of a glowing Bat beside her on the wall on the building.

"What's going on over there and who is that woman?" Batgirl asked Nightwing as he used his Night claw just about to grapple to the trio.

"Lady Shiva she's pretty much known to be the world's greatest martial artist next to Bruce or a few, but just because she is an assassin doesn't mean she plays the evil side, she just do things for her interest so playing 50/50 on the good and bad department." Nightwing explained

"I thought you say you got things on your own now it likes this one either gonna save you from your mess or get you to her mess."

Batgirl teased as she got her Batclaw ready as the Duo swing by the building.

"Hey I didn't say I'll always be ready for things there's a difference."

Nightwing respond in a calm matter as they now get to the spot where the two hooded ones are on guard by Batgirl's presence since they never seen her but Shiva stops them with her hand up.

"Halt! I'll deal with the his protégé's sidekick at this moment." Lady Shiva call off their defense as they bow to her and stay off in a solider fashion as Batgirl is ignored by Shiva calling her Nightwing's sidekick

"Hey sidekick is a bit overrated partners is more like it." Batgirl respond to Shiva in a irritated voice trying not to cause trouble

"What's this about Shiva I don't expect you to appear too early unless you expect me to complete your test to stop the save someone." Nightwing asked

"That's just the easy ones but now I come to you with an emergency that involves my daughter named Cassandra Cain she's is missing in this city and I need you two to help find her for me before is too late!" Lady Shiva said showing a sigh of worry about what might happen to Cassandra and a photo of the girl with a green sleeve shirt and jeans with black combat boots as Nightwing and Batgirl are shocked about the daughter part.

"Wait you have a kid since when all this started to happened and who's the father? Are there any clues to where this young girl might be?" Batgirl asked

"Well, ever since I have decided to stay around Bludhaven and take my daughter here in the city, where she can get to experience the best in life when she is eight years old before that when I had her with me, while she is my and David's daughter but unlike me she not much of fighting type due to her softer side, so I have no choice but to take her to this city to keep her safe knowing I'll be there for her, until that night. When I checked to see how's Cassandra is doing in her room she's not even here only her footprints to her window and nothing else to let me know why she run away I should've let her know how dangerous things can be at night. She's too kind hearted enough to not hurt anyone who's just a child please we have to find her now!" Lady Shiva said desperately needed their help.

"We can help you find your kid Shiva if that's the last thing we do especially for a lost child" Nightwing promised

"Sure why would we say no to a sacred innocent kid even if they're yours but we just got find clues to where she can be." Batgirl said while putting the photo in her utility belt

"Yeah We can find out about the whereabouts in the outskirts of Bludhaven." Nightwing suggested

"Please do so I'll be checking for other places where she might be in her interest and other places I take her around the otherside. Let me know when you find her." Lady Shiva stated as her guards drop smoke bombs and they both vanished leaving Nightwing and Batgirl to go out and search for clues.

In the Nightclub in Bludhaven the whole place is filled with gamblers street show girls with the smell of cigarettes and the bar that only the criminal underworld information is known to be talked about. But as the two costumed duo stepped in the club almost everything's quiet expert a few others and a jukebox still playing, the men keep their distance between two as if they don't want nothing to do with them.

Nightwing and Batgirl walked in to each table showing the photo of Cassandra but then.

"What can I get you two? You look like you're both looking for someone." a woman named Chi Chi who's the same girl Dick talked to about Tony Zocco years early before he ever become Robin before he is adopted by Bruce.

"Yeah we are Chi Chi, this one is a major situation involved a missing girl named Cassandra she might be in grave danger." Nightwing said as Batgirl show Chi Chi the photo of Cassandra as Chi Chi is looking at the photo.

"That's the young girl who came in earlier but she is looks ruffled up with her clothes tore like she's a rugrat type but is almost as if someone attacked her." Chi Chi answers as this get Nightwing and Batgirl surprise but worried.

"Really what happened to her, how this whole story started?" Batgirl asked her as they seat on a empty table so everyone can continue doing what doing but not started any trouble

"She seemed the type that could turn a trick for the weirder customers," Chi Chi responded. "But there's a problem with that. To be part of that world, you have to look the other way, and take a lot of bad stuff."

Nightwing gave Chi Chi a distasteful look.

"What you're suggesting is pedophilia," he said.

"I'm not saying it's right, but it happens," Chi Chi responded. "In any case, she walked away from it. You won't be finding her near any of that."

"We need to tell Batman," Batgirl muttered to Nightwing.

"So she might have been coerced but she was having none of it. Then the pimp probably didn't take "no" for an answer."

"And she managed to escape from him," Nightwing finished.

"Bingo. I gave her a change of clothes and a meal, but next thing you know she's gone." Chi Chi stared into the distance. "She didn't seem the type to want to be found, or to stay."

Nightwing and Batgirl exchanged glances. Batgirl looked puzzled.

Something's not right, Nightwing thought. That doesn't match what Shiva told us.

"Do you have any idea where she might have gone?" he asked.

"No." Chi Chi shrugged her shoulders. "It's easy to disappear in this part of town."

"What clothes is she wearing now?" Batgirl asked.

"Pretty simple stuff. Black jeans, a red t-shirt from the local thrift shop that has rhinestones on it." Chi Chi looked more concerned. "They're probably too big for her since they were my clothes, so they'd look baggy. If you want to find her, I'd say find out where there's trouble. That girl probably will attract more pimps with that body."

Nightwing groaned. Batgirl pinched her nose.

"Totally not the image I was hoping for," Nightwing said.

"Well, tough luck. I hope you find her."

After Nightwing and Batgirl have gotten some interesting information from Chi Chi, they exited the Nightclub to continue the search. Meanwhile Cassandra is wondering in the Slum parts of Bludhaven as if she's on guard about somebody might find her.

The Silent girl have spotted a Dojo but she hides from the window view so no one inside can't see her, she started to watch two girls sparing with the master and the rest of the students watching and so is Cassandra who looks in deep thoughts as if she's grazing in her head about something.

But she snap out of it, like she's trying to make it a distant memory and walked away from the Dojo passing the window view fast with only one of the students noticed her but hadn't acknowledged her quick presence.

Further in the street, Cassandra has found an empty alley where no one won't bother her hopefully to clear her mind, now that she has a change of clothes and food, all she want is to rest as she sleep on a pile of leaves. But just when all things seem calm, two creepy ragged clothed men with a perverted smile lock their eyes on Cassandra while she is has her eyes open looking at them nonchalantly.

"Don't worry little girl we're just wanted to play a little slumber party game before you go to sleep." one of the men said but just when they are coming closer to Cassandra

"How about you let us take charge of the this game!" Nightwing said drop attack one of men and ground pounded him, caused the other one to back off but then is stop by Batgirl who's behind him but knee him in the crotch and kicks his head in anger caused him to get down unconsciously while Nightwing is pretty impressive with Batgirl's action.

"No perv shouldn't be a problem for you now and hopefully nothing else is." Batgirl told Cassandra who's still shocked by the two helping her

"Hey it's okay kiddo we just making sure you're okay it's a good thing you survive this long your mother is worried about you but don't worry we going to bring you back to her safe and sound deal?" Nightwing calmly said to Cassandra with his hand out but the moment when Cassandra grabs Nightwing's hand she pulled him to her head to make a headbutt and attacks him with Batgirl surprise at this sudden moment.

"Hey Cassandra stopped it we're not bad people just because of our looks!" Batgirl trying to reason with the child but when she grab Cassandra's shoulder, Cassandra throws Nightwing to Batgirl and trying to run away with Nightwing and Batgirl on their feet to chase after her.

"Something tells me that Shiva's description is a little off according to glimpses of her actions on how she's hurting you!" Batgirl told Nightwing follow Cassandra while both using Detective vision to keep her in target.

"Yeah ya think?! This kid hits harder than she looks and her style looks familiar to her mom's. I got a idea!" Nightwing responds and grapple to the rooftops while Batgirl is on ground trying to catch up to Cassandra.

(For a kid she is pretty fast but that's no average kid.) Batgirl thought to herself but it's a deep end to a wall and just when Cassandra about to take another direction, Nightwing glide down close to her and Batgirl catch up behind Cassandra but noticed that Cassandra stopped running without saying nothing after realizing what the plan is.

"Finally heh for a minute I think you never stop, but listen if you can answer these questions we promised you're not in trouble just wanted to know why you run away in the first place this place." Nightwing promised as Cassandra is standing off guard and accept his word but gives a dark stare at the two.

"Please Cassandra we just trying to help you okay not to hurt you. Just let us see what's going on and we'll see what we can do got it." Batgirl told Cassandra but Cassandra shake her head yes.

"Umm can you talk at all? You seem to know what we are saying so well I except a okay or something." Nightwing asked

Cassandra only responded with a hand gestures and facial expressions to tell her story.

"Hmmm I see you're born to be a weapon and trained by your father to become the next assassin right?." Batgirl repeated

Cassandra's story and Cassandra smile and gives a thumbs up to let her know she got it and continued her situation with hand gestures and her expressions is slowly turned off as if she's does not want to think about it, but continue anyway.

"You are taught to only communicate with body language but only in the art of Language of Violence. Hmm where to I heard that before?" Nightwing ponders with his hand rubbing his chin

"Your dad had to goes around the world so he has to take you to your mother as she also trained you,which that explains your fighting moves you able to read the body movements before they do it that's nice and all." Nightwing responded to Cassandra's gesture but things turn to the worst when Cassandra's face is now turn to a sad one.

"But things change when you realizing the horror during your training when you get to Bludhaven. During one of your path of being a weapon of violence you fought a businessman one day and that's when you *gasp* you have killed him caused you to see that this whole time at the sight of his dead body and the face he made. It scared you and that's when you realize they your parents are using you to become a murderer and you never want to be a weapon that they wanted from you." Batgirl repeated and both her and Nightwing are shocked at the truth as they notice Cassandra face frowning with her hands on her arms shake in fear of what she done.

"It's that why you run away from your mom right Cassandra? Please tell us, we understand that you didn't mean to do does things and you feel ashamed of yourself that you're used and manipulated by your own parents." Nightwing lead down with one knee and put his hand on her shoulder caused Cassandra to look back at them with tears on her eyes as she shakes her head yes.

"But it's not your fault okay Cassandra, you're not the only who fall for this and now we know that we can't let Shiva or your dad to come near you okay we're here for you it's going to be alright you can defend yourself and not used your skills to not kill okay?" Nightwing calmly said to Cassandra as responded with a hug feeling comfortable with Nightwing and Batgirl and no longer look at them as a threat anymore.

"I suggest we should call Batman about this situation. We more muscle to keep her safe from those two or anyone who might want to take her to them." Batgirl told Nightwing

"Yeah you may have a point and that way we can learn more about that Language of Violence thing." Nightwing respond

"Maybe we can use it for you know just in case we bumped into your parents Cass you don't mind me calling you that?" Cassandra gives Nightwing a concern look but change it to a calm smile and shake her head yes while rubbing her tears off her face.

During this time while Nightwing is calling Batman though the Bat communicator, somewhere on the rooftops Shiva is watching in the distance hiding in the darkness with a sigh of displeasure in her as she see her daughter go with Nightwing and Batgirl. She noticed that they now know too much about the truth and see Nightwing with the Bat communicator knowing what that means. But she decided to let it play it out just with one catch.

"(So is this how you wanted it and disrespect your own blood, your destiny? *sigh* If only you can see what really happened to those who dare trying to be in their own individual and not learn discipline. But you're still not see it though, still a child at the end okay then. Even if their mentor appears to face me again and safe you from your true self I guess we just have to take that this situation starting with them with your father to take care of them then maybe one day you'll see and regret the day you disobey me ever just you wait Cassandra.)" Lady Shiva vow to herself as her two hooded figures are forced to not attack but follow Shiva after one of them call someone and responded to Shiva about it.

"He's going to look into it Lady Shiva."

"Thank you for letting me know for now we leave until I decide when to strike."

"Yes Lady Shiva understood"

Then they vanished in the darkness once more.

To be continued


End file.
